- Fifty years a milestone to shape Ondo’s future, says Gov Aiyedatiwa
- As Verheijen, Oyedele speak at Golden Jubilee Lecture, call for heritage preservation
- Oyedele announces N500k scholarship for best graduating student of every public secondary school in Ondo State
An erstwhile Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, has attributed Ondo State’s emergence as an oil-producing state to visionary leadership, strategic sacrifices and collaborative governance, warning that disregarding the counsel of elders and the lessons of history could jeopardise the state’s development.
Speaking on Monday at the International Centre for Culture and Events (The Dome), Akure, during the public lecture themed “Ondo State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, Olanipekun recounted the painstaking steps that positioned Ondo alongside Abia and Imo states as Nigeria’s oil-producing states in the 90’s.
Olanipekun, who was the chairman of the public lecture, reflected on his tenure as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state under the administration of Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua.
He noted that their joint efforts, alongside other stakeholders, led to the drafting of the decree that enabled Ondo to tap into its hydrocarbon potential.
“Leadership requires humility, the willingness to listen and adherence to truth. Ignoring advice born of experience is dangerous for any society. We are still young and we want you to lead us on”, he said.
Olanipekun emphasised that Ondo’s achievements were no accident but the product of deliberate planning, strategic choices, and foresight.
Reflecting on past administrations, both military and civilian, and the enduring contributions of prominent families and individuals, he stressed that preserving these legacies was essential to safeguarding the state’s identity and guiding future generations.
While declaring the public lecture open, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa outlined a bold vision for the state’s next fifty years, anchored on industrialisation, innovation and youth-driven growth.
“Fifty years is not just a number,” he said. “It is a milestone that challenges us to rise to the responsibility of shaping the next era with wisdom, courage, and innovation.”
Noting the state’s transformation from an agrarian economy to a hub for industry and enterprise, he highlighted key projects such as the Sunshine Free Trade Zone, Golden Ceramics Industrial Plant, Ore Ethanol Plant and the Ondo Deep Sea Port, designed to enhance industrial processing, value addition, and export-driven growth.
He also stressed the importance of tourism and culture as engines of opportunity, citing coastal and eco-tourism initiatives that foster entrepreneurship and stimulate local economies.
Infrastructure, the governor said, remained a critical driver of growth, with investments in roads, bridges, transport corridors, and energy projects, including the Onyearugbulem–Irese Bridge, facilitating trade, connectivity, and mobility across the state.
“Our youth are our most strategic resource,” Governor Aiyedatiwa stressed. “Through scholarships, vocational training, digital literacy, and innovation hubs, we are preparing a generation ready to compete globally.”
He also acknowledged the diaspora, noting that their skills, networks, and capital are pivotal to accelerating development and positioning Ondo on the global stage.
In her keynote address, Mrs Olu Verheijen, Special Adviser to the President on Energy, lauded the contributions of ordinary citizens, farmers, teachers, civil servants, artisans, and entrepreneurs in building the state.
She highlighted gas infrastructure, the revival of the Odigbo power plants, and modular LNG projects as key drivers of industrial growth.
Verheijen also pointed to strategic infrastructure projects such as the Lagos–Canaba Coastal Highway, major road expansions in Akure, teaching hospital upgrades and the development of the Ondo Deep Sea Port, stressing that these investments would create jobs, generate revenue and enhance dignity for the people.
“Value addition is the foundation for job creation, revenue generation, and the dignity of our people,” she said, noting that Ondo must marry its rich heritage with modern innovation to achieve sustainable advancement.
Reflecting on the Golden Jubilee, the guest lecturer, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Prof Taiwo Oyedele, praised the vision of Ondo’s founding fathers in fostering education, creativity, and opportunity, which produced generations of leaders, innovators and global icons.
He announced a Golden Jubilee scholarship of N500,000 for the top graduating student in every public secondary school this year.
Highlighting the state’s vast endowments, fertile soils, a 180-kilometre coastline, the mystical Idanre Hills, and vast bitumen reserves, second largest globally, he noted that industrialisation, infrastructure and cultural tourism are reshaping the economy, while Agenda 2076 charts a path for a diversified and innovation-driven future.
Concluding the lecture, Prof Oyedele urged unity across political, religious, and generational divides, calling for collaborative efforts to realise the state’s aspirations.
“Fifty years on, Ondo State stands not only as a testament to past visionaries but as a beacon of opportunity, resilience, and innovation, poised to lead Nigeria into the next half-century with pride and purpose,” he said, emphasising that the state’s future will be defined by deliberate choices, visionary leadership, and the harnessing of its abundant human and natural resources.
In his welcome address, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti, Secretary to the State Government and chairman of the anniversary committee, described the celebrations as nostalgic and deeply emotional, recalling his youth when the state was created.
He expressed gratitude to past leaders, royal fathers, elder statesmen and members of the planning committee, revealing that eminent citizens, including octogenarians and nonagenarians, would be honoured during the festivities.
In attendance were Ondo State First Lady, Mrs Esther Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa; the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami; his wife, Mrs Abosede Adelami; Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olusegun Odusola; Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Olamide Oladiji; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; Head of Service, Mr Bayo Philip; former Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; former Deputy Governors, Alhaji Abdulazeez Oluboyo and Otunba Omolade Oluwateru; State Chairman of APC, Engr Ade Adetimehin; members of the State Executive Council; members of the Ondo State House of Assembly; Local Government chairmen; traditional rulers, including the Chairman of the State Council of Obas, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye and the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, APC chieftains; elder statesmen, including Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa; heads of security agencies; and other eminent personalities.
Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan,
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
February 2, 2026.